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Tuition & Financial Aid

Our Commitment to Accessibility

UCDS is committed to sustaining an inclusive educational environment, accessible to all families interested in a UCDS education. Through the leadership of our Board of Trustees, and with funds made available by our endowment, UCDS provides financial support to help with tuition, after school programs, and other classroom-related expenses.

$931,000

aid awarded in 2018-19

1 out of 5

families received financial support

Tuition

Tuition is determined annually by the Board of Trustees. The 2018-19 school year full-day tuition is $28,656. Field trips, overnights and special programs create added cost to a family over the course of the school year. Typically, the average additional cost totals around $750 per student. Financial aid is available for these required curricular events.

A UCDS Education is an Investment for the Future

UCDS provides a quality education that will equip your child with a solid academic foundation and a lifelong love of learning. We recognize the importance of making a UCDS education affordable to everyone. While financing options are available to every UCDS family, financial aid grants are based on need. It is our hope that the information that follows will help families with their decision to apply to UCDS.

Financial Aid

Applying for financial aid and applying for admissions at UCDS are two separate processes. Admissions decisions are need-blind, which is why financial aid applications are processed and reviewed solely by our Business Office. At UCDS, we strive to build personal connections with families, so please don’t hesitate to call our CFO, Stephanie Cisakowski, with your financial aid questions. The following information will help get you started with your financial aid application.

How Do I Apply for Financial Aid?

Complete and submit financial aid forms online at School and Student Services (SSS) as soon as possible and prior to the due date. Please give complete and accurate information. If PFS applications are submitted late or with incomplete information, families may get only a fraction- or none- of the aid for which they might be eligible. You may also provide a narrative to UCDS with additional information you want to call to the attention of the Financial Aid Committee. The narrative can be included with your SSS documents or it can be sent directly to the UCDS Financial Aid Committee, c/o Stephanie Cisakowski.

Applying for Assistance Online

Click on the prompt to begin your Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS). You only have to complete one PFS even if you have several children applying to UCDS or to other SSS member schools.

You will be given a password that will allow you to return to your PFS at a later date before submitting it.

SSS will also indicate required backup documents that should be uploaded into your account. Your documents will be handled with the utmost level of security. To read more about SSS’s document security, go to solutionsbysss.com.

The following must be submitted to SSS no later than February 15, 2019:

Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS)

Signed copies of your family’s 2017 tax return

2018 W-2s and/or 1099s, if applicable

2017 W-2s and/or 1099s, if applicable

IRS Form 4506-T (sign but do not date the form)
The link to Form 4506-T is here.

The following must be submitted to SSS as soon as possible, but not later than April 15, 2019:

Signed copy of your 2018 Federal Tax Return, including all supporting schedules and forms.

Final decisions by the UCDS Financial Aid Committee will be based on the most recent tax year’s data. If the current year’s document is unavailable before February 15, 2019, a tentative award will be made based on the previous year’s tax data. This award will be contingent upon receipt of the most recent tax year’s data (due no later than April 15, 2019) and may fluctuate according to changes in your financial situation.

If you receive income from a trade or your own business, please complete a Business/Farm statement (available on the SSS site), to be submitted with your financial aid forms. If you are divorced, separated, or have never been married, both natural parents and any step parents will need to submit separate PFS forms.

Should you require assistance with the SSS forms, you may call them at (800) 344-8328 with any questions (Mon-Fri: 9:00am-8:00pm EST. Sat: 9:00am-4:00pm EST). Or, you can call the UCDS Business Office at 206-547-8237 and ask for Stephanie Cisakowski (x270).

Families new to UCDS will be notified of their aid status when they receive their enrollment contract. Current UCDS families will be notified by the end of April.

Loan Programs

Your Tuition Solution

Your Tuition Solution specializes in fixed-rate K-12 education loans. The program is offered by over 2,400 schools throughout the US. Your Tuition Solution is a Corporate member of the National Association of Independent Schools and has an A rating from the Better Business Bureau.

You may borrow up to the full tuition cost minus any financial aid you receive. The minimum you can borrow is $2,000. There are no origination or application fees or down payment, and terms are available from 24 to 84 months. Interest rates are fixed and are as low as 3.99% APR.

The basic requirements to qualify for the program are an annual income of at least $17,500, you’re not currently delinquent on a major trade line (mortgage, auto loan, credit card), have not filed for bankruptcy in the past three years, and have a debt-to-income ratio below 50%.

Applying for a loan is as easy as completing a five-minute online application.

Sallie Mae K-12 Family Education Loan

The K-12 Family Education Loan finances all education-related expenses. You can borrow a minimum of $1,000 up to the total cost of education, in such amounts as approved by Sallie Mae. There are flexible payment terms from one to three years and interest rates are variable and are based on LIBOR one-month rates. Sallie Mae loans may pay for tuition, books, computers, musical instruments, sports and other extracurricular activities that enrich your child’s learning experience. For additional information, see www.salliemae.com/student-loans/private-school-loan.

Coverdell Education Savings Account

Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (“ESA”) provide a means for investing post-tax dollars into an investment fund that can be used to defray the costs of education for students in elementary and secondary schools, as well as for college. Distributions are tax-free, provided they comply with IRS regulations for the ESA (see www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc310.html). You should consult with your tax advisor regarding these financing tools.